Deadville

For the past two years, Ryan has basically checked out. He spends most of his time getting stoned with his best (ok, only) friend, Andy. Andy is overweight and lazy, and Ryan hates to admit it, but all those sessions smoking pot in an old tree house (and then giving in to the munchies) might have him heading in the same direction. When he's not hanging out with Andy, Ryan shuts out the world by sticking in some headphones and escaping with music. Why is Ryan so down on life? It might have something to do with the death of his younger sister from cancer. Ryan always saw himself as Molly's protector, but even he couldn't protect her from the disease that claimed her life. Ryan is not finding much support at home, either; his mom is always busy singing with her choral group (and flirting with one of its members), while his dad has thrown himself so far into work that he doesn't seem to care what his wife or son is up to. If Ryan's parents are having such a tough time dealing with Molly's death in a healthy way, how is Ryan supposed to do so? Unexpectedly, it's when another girl ends up in the hospital that Ryan starts to feel like living again. He doesn't really know Charlotte Silano, a gorgeous, popular senior who has never given him a second glance. But when she's in a coma following a riding accident, he finds himself drawn to her hospital room. Ryan can't quite explain it, but he keeps going back to the bedside of this girl he doesn't know. When his hospital visits connect him with a seriously ill young boy and with some new friends --- especially Charlotte's volleyball teammate, Betty --- Ryan just might have found a reason to unplug his headphones, get some great vintage duds, head to the gym and check back into the world. From the title, you might expect DEADVILLE to be a big downer (or maybe a zombie novel). Surprisingly, given its subject matter, it ends up being a hopeful novel even as it acknowledges the deep scars traced by grief. The verbal banter between Ryan and his friends --- especially Andy and Betty --- keeps the mood light, and even though Ryan's loss is dealt with painfully and authentically, his attempts to shake others, especially his dad, out of their own malaise of grief also seem honest and true-to-life. DEADVILLE is a balanced, carefully written portrayal of one young man's response to death --- and his journey back to the living. --- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

The most popular girl in school fell off a horse and she's now in a coma in a nearby hospital. Ryan finds himself drawn to her bedside, even though he is most definitely not in her social circle or even the distant stratosphere of her world. Does he visit her because she is perhaps the hottest girl in school, or because he hopes to move in on her absent boyfriend's territory, or because two years ago he lost his own sister in her battle against cancer? The strange thing is that Ryan doesn't really know why he visits this girl in a coma. It's just something he feels he must do. Running parallel to the Charlotte Silano coma-girl story are several other captivating plot lines. Ryan's visits to the hospital allow him to meet and develop a relationship with Betty, another girl from school who previously didn't really hang in the same crowd with Ryan. There is also the strained relationship between Ryan and his parents. He maintains a fairly normal mother/son relationship, but the connection between father and son has deteriorated to almost nothing since the death of his sister, Molly. It's not just a problem for Ryan, since his father has seemingly cut ties with his wife, as well. He has changed his whole lifestyle, right down to his choice of a vegan menu. Ryan's mother has chosen to throw herself into yoga and meditation to cope with the loss of her daughter. It seems a healthy avenue to stress relief, but she appears to be getting a bit too close to her instructor, causing Ryan to fear for his parents' marriage. One benefit of Ryan's frequent visits to Charlotte's hospital room is that he is putting some distance between his so-called friend, Andy, and the never-ending supply of pot that has so far been getting him through his periods of grief. Is it possible to stay sober and confront tough times long enough to pull himself together? That's the question facing Ryan for most of DEADVILLE. Ron Koertge successfully takes readers into Ryan's world of emotional stress and pain. Everyone has their own way of coping, and DEADVILLE illustrates them all in a direct, straight-forward style. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"